Television programming was originally supplied to the consumer through a relatively small number of broadcast sources via an aerial transmission medium. Using this medium, each programming source was allocated a specified frequency distribution within a particular localized demographic region. Each of these frequency distributions were mapped to a particular channel on the television receiver in order to facilitate ease of use by the consumer. Due to consumer demand however, the number of programming sources has grown beyond the capacity of allocatable bandwidth within any localized area. In addition to this fact, the consumer has also desired access to national programming content that would not have been readily available in the older, legacy aerial transmission systems. In order to remedy these problems, cable television distribution systems were implemented, which generally included a lattice of coax or fiber based transmission lines such as hybrid-fiber-cable (HFC), for transmission of the large amount of television programming. Thus, today's video entertainment distribution or Cable Access television (CATV) systems have the capacity to convey a plethora of video programs from well over a hundred varying programming sources simultaneously.
Today's television programming provided by each programming source typically includes a plurality of varying types of media content such as video programs that are scheduled during prespecified time-slots during the day. In the past, the relatively few number of programming sources was facilitated by a printed schedule of upcoming programming. However, the relatively large number of programming sources available in today's cable television distribution systems have rendered the use of printed video programming essentially untenable. In addition to video programs from programming sources, other media content such as video on demand (VOD), has become readily available to a user thus further enlarging the quantity of programs that may be viewed. In order to provide viewer notification for all of the media content available, various media content listing systems have been developed. One popular type of media content listing system is an electronic programming guide (EPG).
The conventional EPG generally comprises a grid-like display having a plurality of rows depicting the programming schedules for a corresponding plurality of programming sources. Each row may have a multiple of cells of varying length, which are each vertically aligned according to their respective time-slots, wherein each cell may contain a listing of an associated video program that is transmitted during a particular time-slot. The EPG may be scrollable in order to view all of the available programming sources from the cable television distribution system. The rows comprising the EPG may scroll upwards, or downwards automatically such that a user may view offered video programs from all of the programming sources without the need for intervention therefrom. The EPG may also be adapted to scroll manually such that users may sequentially view program offerings at their own pace. In addition to the ability of scrolling up or down, the user may also scroll the displayed EPG right or left in order to view future or yet-to-be-aired programming. Interactive use of the EPG screen is preferably accomplished by presenting a cell that is highlighted for indication to the user that further action may be taken thereon such as a request to play the particular video program shown in said cell. The cell may be iteratively moved upward, downward, left, or right within the EPG screen by pressing the “up”, “down”, “left”, or “right” keys respectively on a conventional remote control device. When a video program is found that is suitable for view by the user, an “OK” or other similar button may be pressed in order to erase the EPG screen from the display and initiate play of the selected video program.
Due to the currently rather large number of programming sources available with most cable television distribution systems, the ability to find an interesting program to watch has become a burdensome affair. At any given time during the day, the user must sequentially read through all of the listings in order to find a program that most closely suits the user's tastes. Even for a user that is quite acquainted with the use of the EPG, reading the listings from over a hundred programming sources may require an immense effort. U.S. Pat. No. 6,865,746 to Herrington has solved this problem somewhat by providing a search mechanism that programmatically finds video programs that are generally equivalent to a known video program. Nevertheless, this system suffers in that a video program suitable to the user's tastes must be previously known and accessible to the system. That is, an automated search for an interesting program may not be conducted if another program that is similar to the user's tastes is not available. It may be important to note that a user's tastes may fluctuate from time-to-time, whereby the user may desire a hard-hitting video program during the day and alternatively desire a relatively slower-moving video program during the twilight hours. Thus prior to an effective search using the '746 system, the user must have access to a video program listing that is similar to the one that is desired. Another key drawback of the '746 system is that search results are only placed into a list; the search results may not be superimposed upon the commonly used and well administered EPG screen. Thus, the user of the '746 system looses the look-and-feel provided by the conventional EPG screen, of which he/she may have become well acquainted through the frequent use thereof. An additional drawback of the '746 system is that means are only provided for searching within a CATV network; that is, no means are provided to access media content from other disparate network platforms such as Internet content, media content stored on a Personal Video Recorder (PVR) device, Peer-2-Peer (P2P) devices, or even files stored on a personal computer.
Thus, there has remained a long-felt, unsatisfied need for a media content search and filtering system for a media content display system such as an electronic programming guide that enables the ability to perform searches for interesting programs thereon without having the necessity of prior access to a video program listing that is similar thereto, wherein the media content that is searchable or filterable by the system possesses the ability to search or filter media content that is available across disparate network platforms.